Simple Cognitive Task
A Simple Cognitive Task is a cognitive task that requires minimal cognitive skill.
- AKA: Routing Conceptual Task.
- Context:
- It can (often) be a Routine Task.
- Example(s):
- “Given a sequence of three numbers what is the sequence rule? Here is a tool to test other number sequences.” (before confirmation bias).
- a Secretarial Task, e.g. by a secretary.
- a Bookkeeping Task, e.g. by a bookkeeper.
- a Filing Task, e.g. by a filing clerk.
- a Mail Sorting Task, e.g. by a mail sorter.
- a Bank Telling Task, e.g. by a bank teller.
- …
- Counter-Example(s):
- See: Routine Job, Cognitive Skill.
References
2015
- (Siu & Jaimovich, 2015) ⇒ Henry Siu, and Nir Jaimovich. (2015). “Jobless Recoveries.” In: Third Way Journal, April 8, 2015.
- QUOTE: What are routine occupations? In the field of economics, these refer to jobs that involve a limited set of tasks. More importantly, those tasks tend to be “rule based,” in that they can be performed by following a well-defined set of instructions, and require minimal discretion.
For example, production occupations are a prime example of routine manual jobs: jobs that are both rule based and emphasize physical (as opposed to cerebral) tasks. As examples, factory workers who operate welding, fitting, and metal press machines fall into this category, as do forklift operators and home appliance repairers. Similarly, office support occupation and administrative support occupations are routine cognitive jobs that focus on rule based “brain” (as opposed to “brawn”) tasks. These include secretaries, bookkeeping and filing clerks, mail sorters, and bank tellers. A growing literature demonstrates a profound implication of technological change on the labor market: many of the routine occupations that were once commonplace have begun to disappear, while others still have become obsolete.11 This is because the tasks involved in these occupations, by their nature, are prime candidates to be performed by new technologies.
- QUOTE: What are routine occupations? In the field of economics, these refer to jobs that involve a limited set of tasks. More importantly, those tasks tend to be “rule based,” in that they can be performed by following a well-defined set of instructions, and require minimal discretion.
1960
- (Wason, 1960) ⇒ Peter C. Wason. (1960). “On the Failure to Eliminate Hypotheses in a Conceptual Task." Quarterly journal of experimental psychology 12, no. 3 doi:10.1080/17470216008416717
- QUOTE: This investigation examines the extent to which intelligent young adults seek (i) confirming evidence alone (enumerative induction) or (ii) confirming and discontinuing evidence (eliminative induction), in order to draw conclusions in a simple conceptual task. The experiment is designed so that use of confirming evidence alone will almost certainly lead to erroneous conclusions because (i) the correct concept is entailed by many more obvious ones, and (ii) the universe of possible instances (numbers) is infinite.
Six out of 29 subjects reached the correct conclusion without previous incorrect ones, 13 reached one incorrect conclusion, nine reached two or more incorrect conclusions, and one reached no conclusion. The results showed that those subjects, who reached two or more incorrect conclusions, were unable, or unwilling to test their hypotheses. The implications are discussed in relation to scientific thinking.
- QUOTE: This investigation examines the extent to which intelligent young adults seek (i) confirming evidence alone (enumerative induction) or (ii) confirming and discontinuing evidence (eliminative induction), in order to draw conclusions in a simple conceptual task. The experiment is designed so that use of confirming evidence alone will almost certainly lead to erroneous conclusions because (i) the correct concept is entailed by many more obvious ones, and (ii) the universe of possible instances (numbers) is infinite.